Dear Phoenix Coyotes Fans, the NHL, and the City of Glendale (AZ):
It seems like it was a lifetime ago that Jerry Moyes was forced to file bankruptcy and attempted to sell the Coyotes to Jim Balsillie. It led to legal battles, and the NHL acquiring the team out of bankruptcy court. Balsillie went about it all wrong and didn't want to live the by the leagues rules, which made his bid null and void. However, over three and a half years later, the NHL still owns the Coyotes, and the latest bid hasn't had enough funding. Its the broken record that everyone keeps trying to play on a broken record player. I am not sure to what degree certain prospective bidders have had money, but it seems painfully obvious, THERE is no OWNER that can put together the proper funds (i.e. investors) and generate a legitimate lease agreement with Glendale to make it viable to own this team.
Ever since Jerry Reisdorf, supposedly wanted to purchase the team, I have seen Ice Edge Holdings, Matthew Hulsizer, Reinsdorf again, and then Greg Jamison fail miserably at trying to buy the team. Jamison needs more time supposedly, while the favorable deal struck with the city of Glendale has expired. It won't be renewed. If he is going to get that deal and Glendale with a new city council and Mayor isn't interested in giving the farm away with taxes again, what is possibly next? (crickets).
What I think is next, is the inevitable sale to an out of town buyer. And why not, it is long overdue. In hindsight, Glendale could have avoided this entire mess by not buying the snake oil from Steve Ellman to build a beautiful arena 40-50 miles on the other side of town from their fan base. They went from having stars (Roenick and Tkachuk) to sell the product in a centrally located downtown facility to the middle of nowhere with the only recognizable faces being a partial owner (Gretzky) and the original Coyote (Shane Doan). If anyone could go back in time, they would shun Ellman and his soon to be failing mall project (Westgate disaster), and let the team go to Portland. Glendale would have never wasted money on an arena for a team that could never make money. It is a failing proposition. Also, I mean no offence to the people that work at Westgate, but that place is simply awful. I would name specific places, but instead I will offer this, one place has 15-20 empty tables, yet still a 45 minute wait, another has complete garbage food and completely overpriced beer, and I could go on. Many places have closed and the development itself has filed bankruptcy. The arena itself has some of the worst trained staff in the world and the most overpriced concessions imaginable.
Ok, there is the rant. Here are my feelings. I am a Phoenix Coyote fan, but I am sick and tired of being led around, and led around, and led around. I'm done. I will support the team as a fan by watching games on TV and rooting them on, but I will put a penny into tickets or merchandise any longer. I have already went to nearly 50 games during the last 4 years, and will not do it again. I won't even accept free tickets, because it is no longer worth an 80+ mile round trip to games any longer. I like the players, the coaches, and even the management. But even they are being led away from the reality. This is over, and it has been over for a long time. We need to face facts that the Coyotes will not be able to stay in Glendale. Find a buyer, any buyer and charge them a relocation fee, but please be done with it. The next news release about the Coyotes I want to read is about a new buyer. Not a prospective buyer, but someone that has purchased the team. Move them wherever, there will be no blame or outcry from me. I am content that I will lose my local Hockey team, and to the extent the team itself stays intact, I will continue to cheer for them. And then, as the next generation comes in, I will move on.
The bottom line is that it is time to face reality. It cannot be done, stop trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and move on.
Sincerely,
A Coyotes Fan
Friday, February 1, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Hall of Fame, or is it Shame?
Yes, the Hall of Fame. Not just baseball, there are hall of fames (HOF) in every big sport, even states, countries and at the Franchise level. The question always remains: what determines if you are worthy to represent a sport, city or other in a HOF?
This is my criteria:
1) Were you a dominant force in your sport? Did the other team game plan against you?
2) Were you at least one of the main drivers of your team (a face or the face)? Think of it this way, during your era, when someone mentioned your team, were you in the top 3 players that people thought about. Obviously, this depends on the team.
3) Did you get any hardware? Did you at least deserve some kind of award during your career? Were you a legitimate all-star for a good period of time?
4) Were you clutch? Did you help win the big game? This doesn't mean did you win championships, although that does help your argument.
5) Did you make your team better? Did you just gather stats or did you make a difference in helping your team win?
6) Speaking of stats, did you produce? I don't care about sabermetrics or WAR, or whatever invented stat that supposedly determines worth of a player. The question is did you produce.
Notice, the question of whether or not you took PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) or some other kind of drug to enhance your ability is not referenced here. Nor does it say whether or not you are an a__hole, jerk, or another derogatory word. Who cares if you were liked? A lot of players in HOFs already fit this category.
Let's start with Pete Rose. There is no doubt he fit all 6 of these categories. He isn't eligible for the Baseball HOF though. Why? Because he gambled as a manager, and on baseball. But let's not stop there, he reached an agreement with the commissioner to be banned from baseball and ineligible to be part of the HOF. Hall of Fame caliber, but he will never be in. Do I care? Hell no.
Let's come back to baseball in a moment. What about Basketball? A little bit of an issue with this sport is the lack of a distinction between Pro and College Basketball HOFs. The question is why? Outside of that, this sport seems to get it in terms of electing the best of the best. However, it is people that believe someone like Robert Horry belongs in the HOF, is just flat out silly. Outside of number 4, where else does he measure up. He claims to be a great defender. That is laughable. How many times did he even make the All-Defensive team? I'd say that is zero. He didn't produce, and he was primarily a bench minutes player for most of his career. He has the audacity to put himself in the same breath as Dennis Rodman. Dennis was kook, but an all-defensive star (7x All-Defense 1st team, 7x Rebounding Leader). Horry's 7 championships hitting clutch shots along stars like Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, etc. do not make him a HOFer. He was a role player that hit some clutch shots.
Football is very skewed with different eras impacting things dramatically. A WR from the 70s versus one from the 90s or today is a different ballgame. There are also less stats for certain players to be judged on. However, I do believe the committee and discussion concept for the Pro Football HOF might be the best way to go.
Hockey is very similar to Football in that regards, except defense and goaltending stats are higher and offensive stats are not nearly what they were in the 80s.
Ok, I've touched on the HOFs and my pet peeves. Now, let's get down to you really want to talk about...PEDs! If there is one thing that baseball purists want to shove down your throat is Steroids and similar drugs being used in an era for which no testing system was in place. In fact testing for PEDs is relatively new for baseball. It only started during the last decade. Even then, it took the BALCO scandal to get us to the place we are in today. In the 90s after the players strike eliminated the World Series in 1994, it was the battle to break the single season home run record that captivated the audience and a league. While there were some that questioned the sport as to why players were becoming gigantic behemoths, nobody seemed to care to much. There obviously wasn't enough pressure coming from fans, media, players, former players, owners, front office, to get testing started. Attendance and the TV ratings were up, don't mess with a good thing, right.
That goodwill lasted until a scandal (BALCO) came about and led to congressional hearings and an investigation into all testing for PEDs. And led to a "so-called" confidential initial testing of the players and then a flawed testing system initially, before a more stringent system that obviously still has its flaws (I'm looking at you Ryan Braun).
What happens now? A significant amount of "Steroid Era" players are now eligible for the Baseball HOF. Every voter has their own opinion on how to handle this era. Who am I to argue with how they vote? I won't, but let me review some players that I believe are hurt by the garbage process that is HOF voting.
Jack Morris - There are enough people that look only at stats, and say not enough wins, too high of an ERA for his career. But let's test my 6 criteria for him.
Number 1 - The winningest picther of the 1980s (yes),
Number 2 - He was a staple with the Detroit Tigers for the early part of his career, and Minnesota towards the end (yes and no),
Number 3 - No Cy Young awards, but did make 5 All-Star appearances and a World Series MVP in 1991 (yes),
Number 4 - Clutch? 10 inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, 4 World Championships (yes)
Number 5 - Led Tigers in Wins for 10 straight years (1979-1988) (yes)
Number 6 - 254 career wins, 175 complete games, 28 shutouts, 2478 Ks (not ideal, but great for the era he played, yes).
He fits at least 5 of the 6 and is close on the 6th. In my book, a HOFer. He still is 40+ votes short with one year remaining in voting.
I could go on and on and discuss his teammate Alan Trammel, but that is my main example. No one was voted in during 2012, and the rumor is some ballots were left blank. Some of these writers should check themselves for sanity, because if you vote any of these guys in later, is it because time passed, or are you being petty and just making them wait.
As I said, I could care less who is elected from the "Steroid Era," in my opinion, you don't test for PEDs, you reap what you sew. Who's guilty? Who isn't? So here is my theory, vote not caring about who took what and vote on their body of work. If they are proved guilty or low and behold admitted to using PEDs, then instead of a bust of their head, we make a bust of their ass with a syringe hanging out of it. Make a special place in the HOF building related to the education of what Steroids will do to your body and keep track of what happens to these idiots as their health deteriorates and breaks down from taking these drugs to extends careers and become giants. Make them learn what happens to these a__holes.
That is my two cents. Name that wing of the HOF the actual Hall of Shame.
This is my criteria:
1) Were you a dominant force in your sport? Did the other team game plan against you?
2) Were you at least one of the main drivers of your team (a face or the face)? Think of it this way, during your era, when someone mentioned your team, were you in the top 3 players that people thought about. Obviously, this depends on the team.
3) Did you get any hardware? Did you at least deserve some kind of award during your career? Were you a legitimate all-star for a good period of time?
4) Were you clutch? Did you help win the big game? This doesn't mean did you win championships, although that does help your argument.
5) Did you make your team better? Did you just gather stats or did you make a difference in helping your team win?
6) Speaking of stats, did you produce? I don't care about sabermetrics or WAR, or whatever invented stat that supposedly determines worth of a player. The question is did you produce.
Notice, the question of whether or not you took PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) or some other kind of drug to enhance your ability is not referenced here. Nor does it say whether or not you are an a__hole, jerk, or another derogatory word. Who cares if you were liked? A lot of players in HOFs already fit this category.
Let's start with Pete Rose. There is no doubt he fit all 6 of these categories. He isn't eligible for the Baseball HOF though. Why? Because he gambled as a manager, and on baseball. But let's not stop there, he reached an agreement with the commissioner to be banned from baseball and ineligible to be part of the HOF. Hall of Fame caliber, but he will never be in. Do I care? Hell no.
Let's come back to baseball in a moment. What about Basketball? A little bit of an issue with this sport is the lack of a distinction between Pro and College Basketball HOFs. The question is why? Outside of that, this sport seems to get it in terms of electing the best of the best. However, it is people that believe someone like Robert Horry belongs in the HOF, is just flat out silly. Outside of number 4, where else does he measure up. He claims to be a great defender. That is laughable. How many times did he even make the All-Defensive team? I'd say that is zero. He didn't produce, and he was primarily a bench minutes player for most of his career. He has the audacity to put himself in the same breath as Dennis Rodman. Dennis was kook, but an all-defensive star (7x All-Defense 1st team, 7x Rebounding Leader). Horry's 7 championships hitting clutch shots along stars like Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, etc. do not make him a HOFer. He was a role player that hit some clutch shots.
Football is very skewed with different eras impacting things dramatically. A WR from the 70s versus one from the 90s or today is a different ballgame. There are also less stats for certain players to be judged on. However, I do believe the committee and discussion concept for the Pro Football HOF might be the best way to go.
Hockey is very similar to Football in that regards, except defense and goaltending stats are higher and offensive stats are not nearly what they were in the 80s.
Ok, I've touched on the HOFs and my pet peeves. Now, let's get down to you really want to talk about...PEDs! If there is one thing that baseball purists want to shove down your throat is Steroids and similar drugs being used in an era for which no testing system was in place. In fact testing for PEDs is relatively new for baseball. It only started during the last decade. Even then, it took the BALCO scandal to get us to the place we are in today. In the 90s after the players strike eliminated the World Series in 1994, it was the battle to break the single season home run record that captivated the audience and a league. While there were some that questioned the sport as to why players were becoming gigantic behemoths, nobody seemed to care to much. There obviously wasn't enough pressure coming from fans, media, players, former players, owners, front office, to get testing started. Attendance and the TV ratings were up, don't mess with a good thing, right.
That goodwill lasted until a scandal (BALCO) came about and led to congressional hearings and an investigation into all testing for PEDs. And led to a "so-called" confidential initial testing of the players and then a flawed testing system initially, before a more stringent system that obviously still has its flaws (I'm looking at you Ryan Braun).
What happens now? A significant amount of "Steroid Era" players are now eligible for the Baseball HOF. Every voter has their own opinion on how to handle this era. Who am I to argue with how they vote? I won't, but let me review some players that I believe are hurt by the garbage process that is HOF voting.
Jack Morris - There are enough people that look only at stats, and say not enough wins, too high of an ERA for his career. But let's test my 6 criteria for him.
Number 1 - The winningest picther of the 1980s (yes),
Number 2 - He was a staple with the Detroit Tigers for the early part of his career, and Minnesota towards the end (yes and no),
Number 3 - No Cy Young awards, but did make 5 All-Star appearances and a World Series MVP in 1991 (yes),
Number 4 - Clutch? 10 inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, 4 World Championships (yes)
Number 5 - Led Tigers in Wins for 10 straight years (1979-1988) (yes)
Number 6 - 254 career wins, 175 complete games, 28 shutouts, 2478 Ks (not ideal, but great for the era he played, yes).
He fits at least 5 of the 6 and is close on the 6th. In my book, a HOFer. He still is 40+ votes short with one year remaining in voting.
I could go on and on and discuss his teammate Alan Trammel, but that is my main example. No one was voted in during 2012, and the rumor is some ballots were left blank. Some of these writers should check themselves for sanity, because if you vote any of these guys in later, is it because time passed, or are you being petty and just making them wait.
As I said, I could care less who is elected from the "Steroid Era," in my opinion, you don't test for PEDs, you reap what you sew. Who's guilty? Who isn't? So here is my theory, vote not caring about who took what and vote on their body of work. If they are proved guilty or low and behold admitted to using PEDs, then instead of a bust of their head, we make a bust of their ass with a syringe hanging out of it. Make a special place in the HOF building related to the education of what Steroids will do to your body and keep track of what happens to these idiots as their health deteriorates and breaks down from taking these drugs to extends careers and become giants. Make them learn what happens to these a__holes.
That is my two cents. Name that wing of the HOF the actual Hall of Shame.
Friday, December 28, 2012
MiniBlog - Movies of the year
Or should I say, the Top 5 movies I saw this year...in no particular order
"The Avengers" - Joss Whedon put together a fun and very entertaining film. Most people didn't think a superhero ensemble would ever work, but this movie proved them wrong.
"The Dark Knight Rises" - a great finish to an excellent trilogy for Christopher Nolan. Did it have some flaws? Sure it did, did it take away from a great story, hell no!
"Skyfall" - a fabulous Bond movie. It had a great villain and a story that takes you back to the early days of Bond.
"Argo" - another well directed movie from Ben Affleck. It was suspenseful with some levity as well. This was a very enjoyable film.
"Safety Not Guaranteed" - a much smaller film with a big heart. It's funny and engaging with a great performance by Aubrey Plaza.
I'm sure there are other great films released in 2012, but I likely haven't seen them yet. I still have a bunch to catch up on video.
What am I looking forward to in 2012?
"Iron Man 3"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
"Man of Steel"
"Anchorman: The Legend Continues"
Amongst a few others as well... What about you?
"The Avengers" - Joss Whedon put together a fun and very entertaining film. Most people didn't think a superhero ensemble would ever work, but this movie proved them wrong.
"The Dark Knight Rises" - a great finish to an excellent trilogy for Christopher Nolan. Did it have some flaws? Sure it did, did it take away from a great story, hell no!
"Skyfall" - a fabulous Bond movie. It had a great villain and a story that takes you back to the early days of Bond.
"Argo" - another well directed movie from Ben Affleck. It was suspenseful with some levity as well. This was a very enjoyable film.
"Safety Not Guaranteed" - a much smaller film with a big heart. It's funny and engaging with a great performance by Aubrey Plaza.
I'm sure there are other great films released in 2012, but I likely haven't seen them yet. I still have a bunch to catch up on video.
What am I looking forward to in 2012?
"Iron Man 3"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
"Man of Steel"
"Anchorman: The Legend Continues"
Amongst a few others as well... What about you?
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Football, why can't I quit you?
Growing up, I was never really athletic. I have exercise induced asthma, which limits my athletic pursuits. I did enjoy playing sports though, mainly tennis and basketball. However, endurance would never be one of my strong suits. I am average height (just under 6' tall), and never muscle bound. I never played organized football (unless you count soccer, lol). Which brings me to my original question, and it revolves around my love for a brutal sport where players try to knock each other's heads off.
As a youngster, I watched many Detroit Lions road games, because they didn't sell games out very much. Sure, I watched other teams, but the Lions were my home team and I wanted them to win. When I was really young (from about 5-7 years old), they did make the playoffs a couple of times, only to experience disappointment. Then they were terrible for a number of years (following the loss of star RB Billy Sims for that matter), before I reached high school and they drafted Barry Sanders. In High School and College, Barry Sanders was the player to watch, and I went to numerous games at the old Pontiac Silverdome. It was fun, but it too again ended with a lot of disappointment.
OK, I wish this wasn't so damn depressing. Barry was as good as it got, and he was a favorite of mine for many years. I did hold a grudge when he retired out of nowhere in 1999, but it was how he retired more than the fact he retired. I got over it, and he deserved better than the Detroit Lions.
The peak of my Lions fandom was in 1991 when they reached the NFC Championship Game, which followed the only Lions playoff win in my lifetime. However, they proceeded to get smacked up side the head by the Washington Redskin juggernaut.
OK, so that is the NFL, did have any success in watching football? Well, if you count the Michigan Wolverines, then there was some success. However, most of it occurred in the 1990s when they ruined Ohio State seasons and won a share of the 1997 National Championship. There were also many Big Ten titles and some Rose Bowl wins during my lifetime, but today they are trying to rebuild to get back to that level. I like the new coach, but this isn't what we are talking about today.
"Too make a long story short..."
"Too late"
I moved to Arizona in 1999, and actually had season tickets to the Cardinals and the oven that is Sun Devil Stadium. I learned I could root for the Cardinals, but they would never be my team. I had already hit myself in the face enough times with the Lions. The Cardinals even had some success during the Kurt Warner era, but I don't jump on bandwagons.
So, have I got the real part of the story yet? Of course not, because I speak only of loyalty to my favorite teams. I still watch and gut it out every week, but when disappointment strikes, I seem to know it was going to happen. That takes some of the fun out of sports. It is when they surprise me, that is when I get a smile on my face.
Fantasy Football was a different story, yes, the alternate reality where I am a commissioner and owner of my own team of real players. I remember when hard work and knowledge was a part of the game, alas now, millions of experts give even Football idiots a way to win games. In the first 6 years that I played, I won 4 times. Albeit, two were in very small leagues, but it still was a testament to my knowledge of the players and game. Now, I simply lose more than I win. I recently decided to quit this Fantasy game in a couple of years (15 years sounded like a good place to stop), because it has been long enough. It truly becomes a headache, when it shouldn't be.
This brings us to the core of the question, why do I subject myself to the disappointment football has given me over the years. Sure, I have rooted for friends teams and enjoyed their enjoyment, but when does it come to the point, you have no horse in the race, should I really care? If you try to enjoy banging your head against the wall, would you do it even though it hurts a lot? I would certainly hope not.
In the end, I can only think of one quote that sums it all up...
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
Dwell on that one for awhile.
As a youngster, I watched many Detroit Lions road games, because they didn't sell games out very much. Sure, I watched other teams, but the Lions were my home team and I wanted them to win. When I was really young (from about 5-7 years old), they did make the playoffs a couple of times, only to experience disappointment. Then they were terrible for a number of years (following the loss of star RB Billy Sims for that matter), before I reached high school and they drafted Barry Sanders. In High School and College, Barry Sanders was the player to watch, and I went to numerous games at the old Pontiac Silverdome. It was fun, but it too again ended with a lot of disappointment.
OK, I wish this wasn't so damn depressing. Barry was as good as it got, and he was a favorite of mine for many years. I did hold a grudge when he retired out of nowhere in 1999, but it was how he retired more than the fact he retired. I got over it, and he deserved better than the Detroit Lions.
The peak of my Lions fandom was in 1991 when they reached the NFC Championship Game, which followed the only Lions playoff win in my lifetime. However, they proceeded to get smacked up side the head by the Washington Redskin juggernaut.
OK, so that is the NFL, did have any success in watching football? Well, if you count the Michigan Wolverines, then there was some success. However, most of it occurred in the 1990s when they ruined Ohio State seasons and won a share of the 1997 National Championship. There were also many Big Ten titles and some Rose Bowl wins during my lifetime, but today they are trying to rebuild to get back to that level. I like the new coach, but this isn't what we are talking about today.
"Too make a long story short..."
"Too late"
I moved to Arizona in 1999, and actually had season tickets to the Cardinals and the oven that is Sun Devil Stadium. I learned I could root for the Cardinals, but they would never be my team. I had already hit myself in the face enough times with the Lions. The Cardinals even had some success during the Kurt Warner era, but I don't jump on bandwagons.
So, have I got the real part of the story yet? Of course not, because I speak only of loyalty to my favorite teams. I still watch and gut it out every week, but when disappointment strikes, I seem to know it was going to happen. That takes some of the fun out of sports. It is when they surprise me, that is when I get a smile on my face.
Fantasy Football was a different story, yes, the alternate reality where I am a commissioner and owner of my own team of real players. I remember when hard work and knowledge was a part of the game, alas now, millions of experts give even Football idiots a way to win games. In the first 6 years that I played, I won 4 times. Albeit, two were in very small leagues, but it still was a testament to my knowledge of the players and game. Now, I simply lose more than I win. I recently decided to quit this Fantasy game in a couple of years (15 years sounded like a good place to stop), because it has been long enough. It truly becomes a headache, when it shouldn't be.
This brings us to the core of the question, why do I subject myself to the disappointment football has given me over the years. Sure, I have rooted for friends teams and enjoyed their enjoyment, but when does it come to the point, you have no horse in the race, should I really care? If you try to enjoy banging your head against the wall, would you do it even though it hurts a lot? I would certainly hope not.
In the end, I can only think of one quote that sums it all up...
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
Dwell on that one for awhile.
Monday, November 26, 2012
A Beer Journey to West Michigan Part 2
Previously on A Beer Journey...I was in Michigan and headed to the West side of the state to visit some breweries and enjoy some local Michigan Beer. And I was just leaving Holland on my way to Grand Rapids.
 |
| Very Cool Looking Place |
After a little drive, I found my way to the hotel and parked for the night. It was time for the walking journey. A little break and I was back on my way. My first mistake was not realizing how tired I was and it led to a 2 mile walk to Brewery Vivant, instead of the smarter idea of cab ride.
 |
| Yet another flight! |
Oh well, the walk was ok and I found myself a spot at the bar. First things first, it is a beautiful place, feels like I walked into the church of beer.
They had many brews on tap, and I decided on 4 beers: the Wit Knight, Grand Pumpkin, Organic Brown Ale, and Vivant Rye Porter. I was also lucky enough to get a sample of the BAARP (Barrel Aged Raspberry Rye Porter). They were all good, but the highlight was the Grand Pumpkin. Very dominant pumpkin aroma and some nutmeg and pumpkin in the flavor, and sweeter than anticipated in a good way. After a nice conversation with a regular patron, I finished my flight and headed to the gift shop for some souvenirs.
 |
| Founders!!!! |
More exercise was in order as I walked back towards downtown and headed to Founders Brewing. I was looking forward to this brewery all day. When I arrived to this wonderful place, it was packed with people and the bar was full. There was even a line at one end of the bar, and I decided to visit the gift shop area. This led to me trying to entice them to sell me bottles of Bolt Cutter for my Arizona friends. However, no sale on that as they were still holding bottles for ticket holders from the release party (how very nice of them...now why didn't I buy a ticket then). I still spend some money on glassware and a Breakfast Stout T-Shirt. Well, then my hands were full and no seats, so the I made a judgement call and journeyed back to the hotel.
 |
| Bolt Cutter! |
After a quick roundtrip, I was back at Founders and found myself a seat at the bar. A sampler was unnecessary here, and I went straight to the Bolt Cutter on draft. Some caramel and toffee notes with a nice alcohol bite at the finish. I did try it out of a bottle a few days later, and got some more hoppiness than on draft. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not to be outdone, I had another one and followed it with some Backwoods Bastard. I also had a great conversation with a guy named Owen, and we talked beer and watched his 49ers kick the crap out of the bears.
After about three hours and a french bread pizza, I left for my final stop of the evening Hopcat. Since I was already pretty toasted at this point, I thought this would be a one beer stop. However, this place was too cool to stay for just one. Plus, the tap list was one of the best I had ever experienced before. They even had 7 of their own beers on tap.
Since I hadn't have enough barrel aged beers at Founders, I went for an interesting brew known as Crazy Train (Bourbon Barrel) from Mount Pleasant Brewing Company. This brew had a nice combination of hop and booze, it was very tasty. I was far from done and went for Steve the Imperial Brown from Right Brain Brewery. After drinking this brew, I definitely want to visit the brewery in Traverse City and try some more. I saved a killer brew for last, Oude Brune with Sour Cherry from Kuhnhenn Brewing. This place was awesome, and the service was great. A return trip is definitely in order. Make sure you follow this link to the tap list.
I finished up and it was time to roll back to the hotel for some sleep. After a few wrong turns and cursing Siri, my trip lasted a little longer than I wanted. However, I did make it back and passed out.
 |
| Jolly Pumpkin |
I woke up the next morning, and after getting cleaned up, I headed to the popular local bottle shop, Scilliano's. A great selection and staff, and I even picked up a few beers, including a Flander's Fred.
I was then back on the highway and ventured back through Ann Arbor to stop at the Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery for lunch. After the prior night's drunkfest, I settled for one beer. For some reason, I decided on more greasy pizza. I enjoyed this place, another cool decor setup and was even able to acquire a bottle of Soberhumano Palena'Ole for a friend.
Then I finally made it back to rest and relax. I also visited several breweries in the Detroit area throughout my trip, which included Kuhnhenn Brewing, Liberty Street Brewing and CJ's Brewing. But those stories are for another time.
What a Blast! I had a great time and can't wait to do it all again! Cheers!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A Beer Journey to West Michigan Part 1
As I planned my annual Thanksgiving visit to Michigan, I decided I would borrow a car and make the trek over to the west side of the state. The plan was simple, make a drive to Kalamazoo and then head north towards Grand Rapids. There are plenty of breweries and bars to visit along the way.
My journey began this past Monday morning at around 8:30AM as I started west. 1st stop was for some breakfast in Battle Creek, and then onto Bell's General Store, which is adjacent to Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Downtown Kalamazoo. The Store opened at 10:00am, so I had some time to browse at merchandise and a gigantic cooler of beer before heading over to the cafe.
I wandered over to the Cafe, just as the bartender was unlocking the doors. It is a beautiful place with brick walls and many varieties of artwork. But enough about that, it was time for some beer.
They offer sampler flights of 5 beers, so jumped straight in with the Roundhouse IRA, which is a nice hoppy brew under the "India Red Ale" classification. Well, I was off an running and went straight 2 of the Experimental Hop Series from 2012, #3 (Rye Pale Ale) and #5 (Floral, Piney and Citrus IPA). And not to be outdone, the bartender Sean went to the back bar (mainly the event room) and got me a sample of the #6 (Double IPA), small amount of disappointment though that there was no Bourbon Barrel Aged Batch 9000 remaining (he checked for me). All of the experimental hop brews were pretty good in their own special way. Next up was the spicy goodness of the Sweet Potato Stout, which included some brown sugar, all spice and nutmeg. It was a tasty brew. The last two beers were also Stouts, a Milk Stout and the Dagger Stout. The Milk Stout was a pretty good example of the style, while the Dagger was a hoppy and bitter stout with a 10.5% ABV.
I also got a little pretzel plate snack with some tasty and pretty good Porter mustard. It was only a small sampling of food, and I'd like to try more upon my next visit.
After that, I made a short walk (about a block) over to the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. I didn't get to witness many changes in the exchange as the place was relatively empty. I was happy to find out that a Short's Brewing tap takeover had recently taken place and there were plenty of options left to try. Now, I had to drive, so I settled for the Key Lime Pie beer, which I had never tried before and grabbed a hot dog and chips. I wish I could have stayed longer as it was a cool place with friendly people.
But this was going to be a long day, and I had a drive ahead of me. I made one last stop at the Bell's General Store to acquire one beer (Sparkling Ale), a snifter glass and a work shirt. After all, I need to be a consumer.
I wanted to get some further nostalgia by visiting the old Alma Mater, but a wrong turn sent me away from Campus, and I instead visited the empty lot where the movie theatre I used to work at no longer stood. Then, it was time for the trek to Holland, Michigan and New Holland Brewing. Holland is roughly a little over an hour's drive from Kalamazoo and closer to the Lake Michigan coast. After some incomplete directions from Siri that only got me to 8th Street, I headed towards downtown and was there in no time.
It is a nice downtown area, and easy parking as I walked into the brewery. It was back to the sampler flight for me, as I was able to choose 6 beers this time. First up was the Mad Hatter IPA, which is their flagship brew and a good IPA. Beer number two was the seasonal Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, which was mainly cinnamon and nutmeg with light pumpkin. It was still tasty, and then I went light with the Golden Cap saison. Very light and citrusy, this beer was very refreshing. Then, it was back to hoppyville with the Hopivore, which was very earthy and very subtle in the overall hop flavor. It paired very well with the Poet Chili I ordered. The next beer was near and dear to my heart, JP's Coffee Stout. A good coffee stout with some java and chocolate flavors. And last but certainly not least, Dragon's Milk, which is a wonderful barrel aged treat. Vanilla, oak and bourbon booziness make this strong brew an awesome finisher.
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| It is easy to find the way |
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| Hallway at the entrance |
I wandered over to the Cafe, just as the bartender was unlocking the doors. It is a beautiful place with brick walls and many varieties of artwork. But enough about that, it was time for some beer.
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| A flight shaped like Michigan! |
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| Sample of Artwork |
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| Patio area |
After that, I made a short walk (about a block) over to the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. I didn't get to witness many changes in the exchange as the place was relatively empty. I was happy to find out that a Short's Brewing tap takeover had recently taken place and there were plenty of options left to try. Now, I had to drive, so I settled for the Key Lime Pie beer, which I had never tried before and grabbed a hot dog and chips. I wish I could have stayed longer as it was a cool place with friendly people.
But this was going to be a long day, and I had a drive ahead of me. I made one last stop at the Bell's General Store to acquire one beer (Sparkling Ale), a snifter glass and a work shirt. After all, I need to be a consumer.
I wanted to get some further nostalgia by visiting the old Alma Mater, but a wrong turn sent me away from Campus, and I instead visited the empty lot where the movie theatre I used to work at no longer stood. Then, it was time for the trek to Holland, Michigan and New Holland Brewing. Holland is roughly a little over an hour's drive from Kalamazoo and closer to the Lake Michigan coast. After some incomplete directions from Siri that only got me to 8th Street, I headed towards downtown and was there in no time.
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| A beautiful building in Downtown Holland |
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| 6 good beers! |
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| Make your own Flight! |
New Holland was a really cool place with good beer and the Chili was pretty damn tasty as well. After a couple of glasses of water, I exited back to the car for a 45 minute drive to Grand Rapids.
Well, this has been a lot of writing, so this is the end of Part 1. Part 2 will follow with the Grand Rapids part of the trip. Cheers and I need a beer!
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